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Luke Dunsmore
Luke Dunsmore

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Building (and Sharing) an HTML5 Component Library — No Frameworks Required

#html #webdev #frontend #opensource

Modern frontend development has a curious talent for overengineering itself. We have build steps that require build steps. Components that only function inside other components. And a perfectly valid that somehow needs 200KB of JavaScript to exist.

This article is about stepping sideways from that world — not backwards — and building a pure HTML5 component library that is:

  • Framework-agnostic

  • Copy-paste friendly

  • Useful to beginners and web veterans alike

I recently open-sourced my HTML5 Component Library, and this post explains the why, the how, and the surprisingly large number of problems that plain HTML still solves beautifully.

Why an HTML-First Component Library?

Frameworks are excellent. I use them. You probably do too. But, they are not always the right tool.

There are plenty of situations where you just need:

  • A dropdown

  • A modal

  • Tabs

  • An accordion

  • A layout pattern

  • A form that behaves itself

…without installing Node, choosing between six competing state libraries, or explaining to a client why “just a button” needs a build pipeline.

HTML5 Component Library - Luke Dunsmore

HTML5 already gives us a lot:

  • Semantic elements like , , and

  • Native form validation

  • Keyboard accessibility by default

The goal here isn’t to replace frameworks, but to offer an easier alternative when you just want to build.

What This Library Is (and Isn’t)

  • Plain HTML with minimal CSS

  • Framework-free

  • Copy-pasteable

It is not:

  • A design system

  • A JavaScript UI framework

  • A replacement for React, Vue, or Svelte

  • A one-size-fits-all solution

Think of it as HTML patterns you can trust, not a UI system or kit. Every component follows the same core philosophy:

  • Clean, semantic HTML

  • Optional, scoped CSS

  • Zero required JavaScript

  • Enhancement hooks if you want them

Example: an accordion using native HTML only.

<details class="accordion">
<summary>What is this?</summary>
<p>This is a native HTML accordion.</p>
</details>

No JavaScript. Keyboard accessible. Screen-reader friendly. Works in modern browsers. If you want animation or advanced behaviour, you add it. If you don’t, the component still works.

Accessibility as a Default, Not a Feature

One of the most underrated strengths of HTML-first components is how much accessibility you get for free.

  • handles focus and keyboard events automatically

  • improves form usability without extra code

  • communicates open/closed state to assistive tech

  • Native validation is announced correctly by screen readers

When accessibility is baked into the language, you stop having to remember it. That alone is reason enough to start with HTML.

Real-World Use Cases

This approach shines in places people don’t talk about enough:

  • Static sites

  • Marketing pages

  • Documentation

  • CMS templates

  • Client projects with long lifespans

  • Environments where JavaScript may be blocked, delayed, or fail

It’s also excellent for prototyping. You can sketch interfaces without committing to a tech stack on day one.

I hope it's of use to some of you, especially if you're just starting with frontend/webdev and want to learn how HTML works.

You can check out the live web version, an offline PDF version, or the source repo over on GitHub.

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